Former PM Manmohan Singh takes oath as Rajya Sabha member

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh signs after taking oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha, in the presence of his wife Gursharan Kaur, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi and others, at Parliament House in New Delhi. Pic/PTI

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday took oath as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel and Anand Sharma were among those who were present during the oath-taking in the Chairman's chamber which was administered by Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and his deputy Sachin Pilot and some BJP leaders were also present. Singh, 86, returned as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. He was elected unopposed as the BJP did not put up a candidate against him.

"Administered oath to Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as Rajya Sabha MP in my Chamber in Rajya Sabha today," Naidu later tweeted along with pictures of the oath-taking in which Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur was also seen.

Singh returned to the Rajya Sabha after a brief gap since his retirement from the Upper House on June 14 this year. He had earlier represented the state of Assam in Rajya Sabha for around 28 years.

Singh was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1991, 1995, 2001, 2007 and 2013. He was also the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha during 1998-2004 and Leader of the House as the Prime Minister during 2004-14. He is the fourth oldest among the sitting members of the House of Elders after the 96-year-old Ram Jethmalani, 91-year-old Motilal Vora and 88-year-old C P Thakur.

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from PTI

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